Enrollment off slightly at CSG

On Aug. 25, 615 Columbus School for Girls students said goodbye to summer and hello to the new school year.

On Aug. 25, 615 Columbus School for Girls students said goodbye to summer and hello to the new school year.

Enrollment is down a little, said headmistress Liza Lee.

"We had the same the last couple of years," she said. "It is down a little. We are noticing a lot more families have moved out of Ohio. I think that it is the economy."

Lee said CSG usually knows ahead of time when families are leaving the school so it can account for the loss of revenue.

CSG will begin a new capital campaign this year. Christy Rosenthal was hired as the director of development. She was the director of development and a major gifts officer for the James Cancer Hospital's $75-million medical center campaign and also spent five years as the director of development for Ohio State University's college of the arts.

Lee said Rosenthal was hired to help organize the school's annual fund, which supports school district operations, and to update the school's master plan. She said CSG has not determined how much money needs to be raised through the capital campaign.

"Our last capital campaign was about eight to 10 years," ago Lee said. "Usually a capital campaign is planned out over a five-year period."

Nine new faculty and staff members were hired for the 2010-11 school year. CSG also hired a new counselor for its early childhood program and hired five teachers to replace five who retired at the end of the school year.

All new faculty members participated in an orientation program Aug. 12 and 13.

Students had some surprises, including a new dining vendor, Sage Dining Services. The company offers seasonal menus that feature products from local farmers and suppliers.

"The new service is incredible," Lee said. "We don't just have water anymore. We have spa water, water filled with orange slices or lemon and limes. It is fabulous."

The school also switched to a new block schedule this year, Lee said. Core classes like math and science will meet 80 minutes every other day. Last year, students were expected to prepare five homework assignments every day.

"That is not how it works in the real work place or in college," Lee said. "We felt that we could really build a schedule that would have time in the classroom for a variety of activities, would have more time for collaboration between students and faculty."

Lee said the new schedule offers time for students to study and reflect. She said faculty and staff eagerly embraced the new block schedule.

"Change is difficult at schools," she said. "The faculty seems genuinely excited."

Columbus School for Girls will be rolling out a new website within the next two weeks. Lee said the new site is designed to be more interactive and better organize to meet the needs of parents and students. There will also be a greater emphasis on social media.

"We have to figure out new ways to incorporate and manage its use by students," she said.